Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Mecca Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Mecca

😐 Solo nomad: Riyadh is 21.6% more expensive than Mecca without rent, and 65.6% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Riyadh is 27.6% more expensive than Mecca without rent, and 17.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.92 SAR 29.72
$4.75 SAR 17.83
66.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.9 SAR 198
$40.10 SAR 150
31.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.85 SAR 29.43
$9.12 SAR 34.18
-13.93%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.76 SAR 6.59
$1.59 SAR 5.96
10.69%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 SAR 8.27
$1.55 SAR 5.81
41.94%
Cappuccino
$3.99 SAR 14.96
$3.26 SAR 12.24
22.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 SAR 2.90
$0.87 SAR 3.27
-11.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SAR 1.07
$0.29 SAR 1.08
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 SAR 6.16
$1.66 SAR 6.23
-1.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 SAR 4.72
$0.83 SAR 3.12
51.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 SAR 9.15
$2.14 SAR 8.03
14.02%
Eggs
$2.74 SAR 10.28
$3.02 SAR 11.32
-9.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.24 SAR 30.89
$7.18 SAR 26.94
14.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.10 SAR 37.88
$8.25 SAR 30.94
22.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.73 SAR 55.3
$13.41 SAR 50.3
9.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 SAR 8.64
$2.38 SAR 8.92
-3.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 SAR 6.40
$1.54 SAR 5.78
11.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 SAR 6.68
$1.79 SAR 6.72
-0.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 SAR 5.75
$2.11 SAR 7.92
-27.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 SAR 4.86
$1.25 SAR 4.69
4.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 SAR 5.65
$1.26 SAR 4.73
19.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 SAR 5.42
$1.09 SAR 4.07
33.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 SAR 1.92
$0.69 SAR 2.59
-26.09%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$8.14 SAR 30.53
$3.97 SAR 14.89
105.04%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 SAR 6.45
$1.98 SAR 7.41
-13.13%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 SAR 9.07
$2.08 SAR 7.80
16.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.50 SAR 28.14
$7.88 SAR 29.55
-4.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.04 SAR 3.90
$1.37 SAR 5.13
-24.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.86 SAR 138
$40.74 SAR 153
-9.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 SAR 11.69
$2.43 SAR 9.12
28.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 SAR 7.17
$1.90 SAR 7.14
0.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.17 SAR 49.40
$10.63 SAR 39.85
23.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 SAR 2.23
$0.60 SAR 2.23
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K SAR 131.1K
$27.0K SAR 101.4K
29.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K SAR 88.6K
$21.0K SAR 78.7K
12.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 SAR 395
$76.3 SAR 286
38.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.86 SAR 131
$35.33 SAR 132
-1.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 SAR 284
$68.3 SAR 256
10.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$104 SAR 390
$87.3 SAR 327
19.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$58.2 SAR 218
$34.60 SAR 130
68.24%
Cinema Ticket
$16.02 SAR 60.1
$18.29 SAR 68.6
-12.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 SAR 1,745
$393 SAR 1,474
18.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,705 SAR 36.4K
$4,584 SAR 17.2K
111.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.4 SAR 223
$22.45 SAR 84.2
164.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 SAR 239
$63.6 SAR 238
0.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 SAR 401
$58.4 SAR 219
82.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 SAR 367
$49.89 SAR 187
96.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 SAR 4,089
$227 SAR 851
380.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$848 SAR 3,180
$286 SAR 1,072
196.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,067 SAR 7,753
$679 SAR 2,546
204.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 SAR 4,168
$1,057 SAR 3,964
5.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,924 SAR 11.0K
$6,098 SAR 22.9K
-52.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,908 SAR 7,155
$2,279 SAR 8,547
-16.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,382 SAR 8,931
$1,065 SAR 3,996
123.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.31
5.5
-3.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Riyadh: March 3, 2026

Last update for Mecca: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities